Election results: CBI’s sword hangs over Mulayam, family

The Samajwadi Party pedalled to a podium finish in the UP polls, but a five-year-old Supreme Court order asking the CBI to inquire into an alleged disproportionate assets case of Mulayam Singh and kin could queer their victory pitch.

Going by the popular perception that the CBI heeds to the Centre's command in political cases, the Yadavs could ill-afford not to take note of the spoiler that the Congress-led UPA may prove for them. And the danger is neither far off nor improbable to be brushed aside. For, on October 26, 2007, the CBI had filed an application in the SC seeking permission to proceed ahead with the case on the ground that during the preliminary probe it had stumbled upon prima facie evidence on the alleged DA case of the SP chieftain, his sons, Akhilesh and Prateek, and daughter-in-law Dimple.

The CBI's plea that as an independent agency it did not take instructions from the government was filed in the court that was in the midst of hearing a petition filed by Akhilesh seeking review of the SC's March 2007 order passed on a PIL. The SC had ordered the CBI to submit the preliminary probe report to the Centre for further action.

When the matter was crucially poised before the court, there was a change in political equations with SP's 39 MPs rescuing the UPA during the 2008 trust vote on the Indo-US nuclear deal. Indebted by the SP's help, the UPA decided to pay back.

The CBI filed another application on December 6, 2008, seeking permission to withdraw its October 26, 2007 plea. The logic behind the flip-flop - a grave error in the calculation of assets had led the agency to believe that the SP chief and his family members had amassed wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income. A bench of Justices Altamas Kabir and Cyriac Joseph reserved orders on the plea. After three years, the order is yet to come and Justice Joseph has retired. This would warrant a fresh hearing in the case and possible fresh trouble.

What if the CBI does a somersault again? The fallout could be grave: prosecution of all the four important members of the SP first family.

FIR filed against Rahul for road show in Kanpur rally

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was on Monday booked for alleged violation of model code of conduct by UP authorities which said that his road show here had breached the time limit and the roadmap set by them.

District Magistrate Hari Om said that an FIR has been filed against Rahul and city Congress chief Mahesh Dikshit who have been booked under Section 188 of IPC for violating prohibitory orders (Section 144) imposed in the city and under Sections 283 (danger or obstruction in public way) and 290 (public nuisance).

"The district administration had allocated time till noon and fixed a 20-km route for Rahul Gandhi's road show but Rahul Gandhi violated it and stretched it beyond permitted time. He also did not stick to the prescribed route for the event," the DM said.

However, state Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi, who was part of the road show, denied there was any violation of the model code of conduct and accused the district administration of trying to stop Rahul's mass contact programme at the behest of the Mayawati government.

"The party has apprised the Election Commission about the action of the district administration," she said.

Kanpur MP and Union Minister Sri Prakash Jaiswal dared the authorities to file an FIR against him. "I had invited Rahul Gandhi for the roadshow. Let the authorities file an FIR against me," he told reporters.

The DM claimed that the road show organisers had sought permission for a 38-km stretch but they had been informed last night about the conditions. "The district administration had fixed a 20-km route for Rahul Gandhi's road show as today is Shivratri and there could be a traffic problem.

"Still they violated the rules and chose to follow the route for which permission had not been granted," he said, adding, "There could have been a security breach or a clash".

Joshi, however, countered that the detailed programme of the Congress general secretary, including the route, was handed over to the district administration by the district unit well in advance and was also cleared by the SPG.

"The administration, however, revised the programme last night and sent it to the SPG," she claimed.

She said that as the people had already been informed about the entire programme, it was not possible to carry out last minute changes.

"During the entire mass contact programme neither Rahul Gandhi addressed a meeting, nor did he take out any procession. Therefore, he has not violated the model conde of conduct," the state Congress president claimed.

She alleged that the Mayawati government was "nervous and shaken" after the "success" of Rahul's road show in Lucknow.

The road show began at the Circuit House this morning and crossed through all the five assembly segments here with people standing on both sides of the roads to greet the leader.

Rahul's road show was, however, shown black flags by youths belonging to some Muslim groups in Baghai area of the Cantonment. They were shouting slogans of 'Rahul, go back'.

In Muslim-dominated Chunnigang area, people welcomed him by showering flowers while the Congress leader garlanded an Ambedkar statue in Bajaria area.

Kanpur will go to polls in the fifth phase of February 23.

Rahul Gandhi’s Kanpur roadshow lands in controversy

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi landed himself in a controversy over his roadshow in Kanpur after district officials raised objections over flouting of rules.

Kanpur District Magistrate (DM), Hari Om said, “Only 20 kilometers permission was given to Rahul Gandhi’s roadshow and was supposed to be started from circuit house in Kanpur. However, Rahul Gandhi started off his roadshow from the airport itself.”

“It is clear violation of model code of conduct. We will take action according to the law,” the DM said.

“Section 144 is implied in the city, which has also been violated.”

Taking view of the heavy traffic on the proposed route, an alternative route was suggested, the DM said.

“The route was changed as Rahul Gandhi’s security is a major concern and the route which Congress party workers had asked for is expected to witness huge traffic today. Due to Mahashivaratri festival huge number of people would visit the temples located along the route and the paramilitary forces meant for the polls will also be taking the same route. So keeping in view all this aspects we had suggested them the alternative route,” the DM said.

Laying rest to all speculations that Congress party workers had first got the permission for the 35 kms route and later the district administration backing out, Hari Om said, “we have given the orders in writing.”

EC issued a notice to Beni Verma over minority quota remarks

After censuring Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid, the Election Commission on Saturday issued show cause notice to Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma asking the Congress leader to give his explanation by Monday evening on his minority sub-quota remarks.

The decision comes after the election watchdog went through the video of the election rally where Beni is said to have raked up the quota issue.

Sources said Election Commission had taken serious note of his comments, particularly for daring the poll body to take action against him.

After examining the video footage of his speech made in Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh, sources said the Commission was in the process of issuing a notice to him to seek his explanation.

Addressing a political rally at Kayamganj Assembly constituency in Farrukhabad district on Wednesday, Verma had said: "Muslims don't have their homes; they don't have jobs and 70 percent of them work as labourers. Non-Congress governments in the state have not done anything for their betterment.

He said, "We will make sure that quota for them is increased if the Congress comes to power in Uttar Pradesh".